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Is social media the web’s weapon against war

Simon Mainwaring / Causes / 8 years ago

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x3VoyjUP8hg

At a time of so much unrest in the Arab world from Yemen, to Egypt, to Saudi Arabia, to Qatar, to Syria, to Bahrain, and to Libya, I wanted to share this short video by war photographer, James Nachtway. What he says about photography applies equally well to social or citizen media, in that by humanizing war social media plays a powerful role in the cry for peace. His eloquent words make sense of the resonance of the videos and photos shared tirelessly around the world and also of the tragic human cost of innocent lives.

This ability to connect people around shared values makes social media important in times of war and peace. Business practices and how we treat the planet are also in desperate need of re-humanization. When people align around shared political, social, economic or environmental values, and take collective action, thinking and behavior that compromises the lives of millions of people around the world can truly change.

As such, our engagement with social technology is both an opportunity and a responsibility. It is a potential weapon of choice for this generation to shape the future and our world.